Stein Sperling understands that couples enter into marriage with the firm belief that the relationship will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, in marriages that end, every member of the family unit is affected. In Maryland, couples have the option to pursue absolute divorce, which terminates the marriage relationship and allows each party to remarry, or limited divorce, also called “legal separation,” which permits couples to live separately but remain married. In either case, divorce is a complicated process and usually presents immense challenges to all involved. Because of this, our experienced family law attorneys take care in guiding clients through the many personal and financial decisions involved in the process, helping them anticipate and plan for the short- and long-term consequences of those.

In developing marital settlement agreements, our attorneys can pursue equitable distribution or a monetary award on clients’ behalf. In both cases, we work side-by-side with our clients to determine which assets are “marital property.” Then, in conjunction with our experienced business and tax law colleagues, we determine that property’s value and provide thorough analysis of potential business and tax ramifications to inform our case strategy. This includes valuation of retirement accounts, business interests, and alimony, and forensic determination to arrive at an appropriate distribution of marital property. At all times, we strive to protect our client’s assets while achieving his or her goals.

After a client’s divorce is resolved, our attorneys are able to enforce resulting court orders as they relate to alimony or child support, as well as child custody and visitation. If changes occur that impact either party’s ability to comply with such orders, we help clients seek modifications. For example, children’s needs may change or one party may experience an increase or decrease in income. As these material changes in circumstances occur, our attorneys are able to guide clients as they renegotiate the terms of their divorce agreement, as well as any alimony, child custody and access, or child support agreements